I enjoyed visiting this marvellous old post office in the hills of Upper Nithsdale (about 30 miles…read morefrom Ayr and Dumfries); I also hope that it will continue to survive with so many small branches of the PO closing down. It's easy to park nearby. I saw that it was up for sale not so long ago but I don't know what has happened to it since then.

The oldest post office in the WORLD. This little and otherwise unremarkable post office has been in…read moreoperation since 1712 meaning that in another 4 years it'll be celebrating it's tri-centenary! Let's just hope it lasts another 4 years. It's a rather amazing and odd fact though given how unremarkable this small farming town is with links to Burns country it's quite a novel thought to imagine that you could use the self same post office that Burns may have used to send off some little ditty to one of his lovers. Of course much has changed in the intervening 300 odd years and through the window you can see sparkly twinkly lights that hint that this post office is one of the ones which has successfully diversified with an eye to survival, and after all this time you can hardly blame them.

Wow this is such a beautiful area surrounded by hills and sheep and goats roaming around freely…read more The Grey Mare's Tale can be seen from the bottom along a path by the car park or if you fancy a hike and are relatively fit you can view it from the top and get really close and from there you will see more waterfalls and streams that seem to go on and on. It's absolutely stunning and so worth a visit.

Scotland is a land of beautiful of harsh countryside. Especially if you visit when the temps are…read more1*C. When you're taken on a hike, its even better! This trail isn't for the weak. Even the lower falls trail takes a bit of skill as its steep and slippery with no safe rail, but no amount of precautions can give you that sense of accomplishment when you see the falls pounding down ahead of you. It is so awe inspiring and breathtaking. Mind your step on the way up and back as the sheep were there first and their presents litter the walk way...

A beloved of mine lives in Lockerbie. When people ask why the name of the town is familiar, I…read moreremind them of the tragedy that too place that fateful December in 1988. The town has put together a beautiful memorial to the 200+ people, passengers, crew and townsfolk who lost their lives when hate and greed took over. It is nestled at the back of a very old and peaceful grave yard where beautiful headstones tower and mark the passage of the years. Lonely breezes blow thru the markers and whisper to the ears of the dead... They are not forgotten.

Just a mile outside Lockerbie lies a memorial called the Garden of Remembrance dedicated to the 270…read morevictims of the Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist bombing of 21 Dec 1988. This memorial is, to me, Scotland's own version of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. There are two powerful emotions that sweep over me every time I stop here to reflect. Walking from the auto park to the memorial site, I'm filled with sorrow when I see the names and faces of so many innocent victims that were blown out of the skies over this small, peaceful hamlet. All these mostly-young people, the students, soldiers, tourists and travelers all on their way home to celebrate Christmas with family, to die when so near to home. And the local townspeople killed on the ground from falling debris... Then the anger rises in me. The hatred for the individuals who would kill innocents in the name of their God, their cause, infuriates me and I shake. How I'd love to rub their faces in this soil... Yet people will forget over time. It's human nature. Day-to-day issues become more critical than recalling the memory of these innocents. But as long as this memorial exists, we will never forget. Nor should we ever. These lives, so easily snuffed out, will continue to remind us of the frailties within the human species, that no truth is any more valuable than any other truth and any crime against one is a crime against humanity.

A recent makeover of a derelict open-cast coal mine by local land artist Charles Jencks, this is a…read morefantastic place to walk the dog or just get some exercise (and you *will* get exercise - it's a 55-acre site!). Returning to his favourite themes of science and astronomy, and using his signature spirals, lagoons and mounds, Jencks has created several set pieces representing galaxies, comets and other astronomical events. The site is bisected by a long N-S avenue of megaliths aligned to the highest point, which is a pretty steep hike up the 'comet walk' but affords stunning 360-degree views over the surrounding countryside. You will need stout footwear and strong legs to make it up here - it is not for the unfit and is definitely not suitable for wheelchair users, although I did see one resolute parent wheeling a pushchair up to the highest point. Jencks has incorporated some 2,000 megaliths, which were unexpectedly excavated on site during the works, into each artwork, making it look like some Neolithic theme park gone mad in places; but it has a delightful exuberance about it that is impossible to resist. It only opened in June 2015 and in parts it seems to still be a 'work in progress'. They could do with improving the steeper sections of path with some steps, and parts of it look like they could do with some more turf being laid. But as the artist only lives 'down the road', I can foresee that he'll be tweaking this place for some years to come.

This could well be the countries highest, and possibly smallest fire station. In fact, 'station'…read moremay be over-egging it a little, it's a shed in which the Fire Landover is kept. Although it is an official Fire Station with full and official signage. As you may have guessed this is a voluntary fire station run by charitable locals keen not to see houses in the area burn to the ground as they wait for the nearest full-time crew to arrive wherever they may be. It's a vital service in a small and remote community occasionally cut off if the weather is being particularly wicked and certainly under funded and over-looked by the council which seems to view them as the bastard child of a boundary shuffle and is keen to treat them in a manner in keeping with that terrible opinion.

My group, Solway Tapestry Weavers, meets at the Library once a month. The staff are very welcoming…read moreand obliging. The room we use is warm and bright, and reasonably priced for a voluntary group. We hold a show of our work each December-and are well supported in this by the librarians. Local tapestry weaver

This is our local library. Very nice staff who are helpfull and pleasant. It is located just off…read morethe cyclepath which is very handy. They hold storytelling sessions for toddlers - Wednesdays 1.30 -2.00 Fridays 10.30 - 11.00

I have a great fondness for this ram statue! Often when driving to or from Scotland we stop in…read moreMoffat for a meal and usually park near to this wonderful ram (it is surrounded by parking spaces in the middle of the main street). This statue was sculpted by William Brodie (1815-1881) and presented to the town by the local businessman William Colvin in 1875 to commemorate the town's thriving wool trade. Other notable works by Brodie which can still be seen today include his marvellous 'Hercules', a bronze statue in Portmeirion, North Wales. The Moffat Ram sits on top of the Colvin Fountain whose water was used by men and animals for drinking. There were once iron cups for men to fill from the water spouts whilst the animals drank from the filled bases the lower ones for dogs and the higher ones for horses! The ram was constructed without ears and a myth (apparently without any foundation) circulated for long afterwards that Brodie committed suicide when he realised his mistake!

After dashing back to Dumfries from Caerlaverock Castle, I was afraid that I had missed my chance…read moreto see this museum. However, the two ladies tending shop not only let me in less than ten minutes before closing, but they very kindly gave me a parking disc for my car. The house is small, but it's worth seeing just to BE in Burns' house. There are several artifacts, including books owned by Burns, both his and others'. Most interesting to me was his desk and chair, at which he wrote much of his famous work, including "Tam O'Shanter." Just imagine him sitting there. Very cool. Burns lived in this house for the last three years of his life, and died here in 1796. His widow continued to reside here until 1834. His son purchased the home in 1851 and placed it under the care of trustees, to be preserved for perpetuity as a memorial to his father. If you visit the house (actually, whether you do or not), take a stroll up the road to St Michael's Churchyard, where you will find the Burns Mausoleum. You can't miss it, as the white marble structure stands out like a beacon among the shabby brown and rust-colored gravestones all around.